Meat industry woes: can we do better?

Abstract

There are lots of unhappy sheep farmers at the moment. A season that gave promise of providing better prices than last year has spiralled down into the gloomy depths. Most farmers seem ready to blame the meat companies but many of the problems arise elsewhere. The current exchange rates are hugely problematic for exporting industries, but even that is not the total answer. Farmers too have got to take some of the responsibility for the position the industry is in. And farmers are going to have to do something about it themselves if they want things to improve. Of course there is nothing that individual farmers can do about exchange rates. That is up to Government. So somehow, farmers have got to make the best of it until the wheel turns in their favour. Or is there something that farmers can do? What is actually wrong with the meat industry that can be improved?